Google Maps “Photo Tour” Feature Lets You Visit Landmarks Virtually

PetaPixel

Google Maps is great for a many reasons that extend far beyond helping you get from point “A” to point “B” — and their newest feature is especially interesting. Dubbed “photo tours,” the new Google Maps feature allows users to take 3D tours of 15,000 different, well-known landmarks; all of which are highlighted when you follow a special link from Google.

In order to create the experience you see demoed in the above video, Google goes through a complicated process of compiling sourced photos from Picasa and Panoramio, finding overlapping photos, generating a 3D rendering based on those photos and then choosing a path through the landmark. We’re sure it’s even more complicated than it sounds, but the results speak for themselves.